Women who defined 2017: Sophie Monk

This interview is part of 9Honey's Women Who Defined 2017 video series, profiling a diverse group of Australian women who've made an impact this year.

Since her Bardot days, we've watched Sophie Monk graduate from noughties popstar to certified Hollywood actress, but it was her no-nonsense approach to finding love as The Bachelorette this year that struck a chord with the entire nation.

Her wide, signature smile and broad Queensland (or, as she calls it, "bogan") accent, together with her ability to be unapologetically herself was an instant hit with audiences. So it's little wonder she'll return to our screens next year as host of Channel 9's highly-anticipated reality series, Love Island Australia.

But her confidence, she admits, has been somewhat of a work in progress that's only really come about "in the last five years".

Image: Getty

"Los Angeles is not somewhere anyone feels comfortable in their own skin to be honest," says 38-year-old Monk, who moved to Hollywood at age 19. "Because you're getting judged every day. I'd do three auditions each day and they'd say you're too fat or too skinny; too blonde; or you can't act."

A career in showbiz was on the cards for Monk from a young age. At 5, she started dancing and three years later, after training as a classical singer, she was getting paid to sing professionally.